Behind Her Smile
by sapphire wind
Summary: When everything settled down and there's no more threat from Sephiroth, Genova and her sons, Cloud left the comfort of Seventh Heaven once again. While dilly-dallying, he saw the real emotions behind Tifa's smile.


Thank you very much to those who left their comments on my very first Cloti fiction as well as to those who placed it on their favorite list! Here's my second one-shot. I just don't know which one's better, this one of the other.

Here you go! ^_^

* * *

It has been weeks ever since Cloud left Seventh Heaven again, three weeks to be exact. During those times, he was traveling between Aerith's church and Zack's grave. Right now, he was standing in front of Zack's Buster Sword inserted in the ground.

"I'm sorry, Zack. I... I couldn't live up to your expectations... I failed you, Zack." He said.

"You didn't fail, Spikey. You saved the world from Sephiroth twice." Zack said as everything became surrounded with white light and he appeared beside Cloud.

"But, still I..."

"You're dilly-dallying again." Aerith said and she appeared behind Zack. Cloud looked at them then looked down.

"Cloud, you shouldn't let the things that happened in the past hinder the way you live right now." Zack said as he slung his arm on Aerith's shoulders.

"I-I'm sorry..." That was all Cloud could say. Zack sighed and shook his head.

"We already forgave you because it was not your fault that we died but... I will never forgive you if you'll continue on hurting Tifa like this." Aerith said and Cloud saw that there was a light frown on the Ancient's face.

"Yeah, you've been hurting her in case you didn't know." Zack said.

"I... I don't understand... What are you..."

Zack took his arm off Aerith's shoulders then walked in front of Cloud and gave him a full force punch that made the blonde stumble a little. Cloud looked at him and saw Zack frowning.

"For all these years, wasn't Tifa the one who put so much faith in you? Even when you were still not a SOLDIER, didn't she welcome you and still believed in the promise you two made that you'd save her when she's in danger? Try to remember the times you two shared! The times when you left her, came back then left her again."

Memories flooded in Cloud's head. When he left Nibelheim to join SOLDIER, Tifa only asked Cloud to promise her that he'd save her whenever she's in danger. After agreeing to the promise, she let him leave without any protest. When they met on the train, Tifa smiled at him a little even though he didn't immediately remembered her after the Mako poisoning. When Zack and Aerith died, he left Tifa to take care of the kids as well as the bar. When he found out that he had the Geostigma, he ran away. When he came back to Seventh Heaven, Tifa still welcomed him with a smile even after everything he put her into. When he left again weeks ago, Tifa didn't stop him nor got in his way.

All Tifa did was smile, welcome him home and never got in his way whenever he left without saying anything. Tifa's smiling face suddenly crossed his mind. He saw that behind the smile on her face, sadness and pain laid in her eyes. All those times, Tifa shouldered and hid the pain she was feeling from everyone, even him. She forced herself to smile and faced everything with optimism.

Cloud shook his head as the white light as well as Zack and Aerith disappeared. He put on his goggles before riding Fenrir. As the engine started, he heard Zack's voice.

'You'd be one lucky man if Tifa will still welcome you back after everything.'

'I know. Even if she won't, I'll do everything to make her believe that I finally know what to do now.' Cloud thought as he went on his way back to his home and family.

* * *

"Malene, Denzel. It's time for bed." Tifa said as she looked at the kids who were wiping the tables at the bar.

"But... there's still so much to clean." Denzel said.

"He's right. There are plenty of dirty dishes, chairs and tables to arrange and the floor to mop." Marlene said as she looked at Tifa who was smiling at them.

"I appreciate your concern and thanks for the help but you know the house rules, right? You can't stay up late."

-"Aww..."-

"Now, go to your room and sleep. I can take care of everything." Tifa said. She knelt down to them and kissed their heads.

"Okay. Goodnight, Mommy Tifa." Marlene kissed her on the cheek then she and Denzel went to their room after putting away the rags.

Tifa smiled then stood up. She wiped the glasses that she finished washing and looked at the clock. It was already 10:30. She sighed a little then placed the glasses back in place. She washed the dishes then placed them in the cabinet.

Marlene was sitting on her bed while Denzel looked at her after seeing the sad look on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm worried about Mommy. Yesterday, I heard her crying in their room. I'm worried that Daddy Cloud might... not come back to us again..." Marlene wiped the tears that flowed and Denzel looked down.

"Let's just hope that one day, he'll come back."

"B-But... Mommy's having a hard time. I-I don't want Mommy to cry again... I want to see her s-smile. I want to h-have Daddy again." Marlene sobbed on her Moogle doll and Denzel moved to her bed before wrapping his arms around her.

"He'll come back. I know he will. We're his family."

Marlene nodded but still continued crying. Outside the door of their room, Tifa looked down and sighed. She quietly went down and sat on a barstool.

'I have to be strong for them. I don't want this family to be broken. Just where are you when we need you the most Cloud?' She thought as her tears started falling. She wiped them and heard a familiar motor engine stopping outside the bar. She looked up when she heard the door open and saw Cloud standing while looking at her after he realized that she was crying.

"Cloud...?"

"Tifa I..." Deciding that he can't say what he wanted to, he moved closer to her and pulled her to him in a light embrace. Tifa was still in mild shock that Cloud was back, either temporarily or permanently.

"I... Can I... um... stay here with you and the kids?" Cloud muttered and Tifa closed her eyes.

"You know you can." Tifa whispered and opened her eyes. She felt Cloud tighten his hold on her.

"I mean... permanently... Zack... he and Aerith..."

Tifa ran her hand up and down on his back, trying to sooth him a little. She stopped crying then placed her hand on his chest where his heart was.

"Zack and Aerith opened my mind to what I've put you through all these years. They helped me realize that you've been hurt more than I was when they died. You got hurt because of me but... you're still here for me... How can you still accept a failure like me?"

"You were never a failure. You're the hero of Gaia and... in the eyes of Marlene and Denzel, you're their father... You never hurt me."

"You're lying. I know that even if you were smiling, you're just hiding the fact that you're hurt, that you're in pain. I know that now."

Tifa sighed and closed her eyes once again. She wrapped he arms around his waist and leaned on his chest.

"I admit. I was hurt but it's alright. You left because that was what you needed to do or what you wanted to do. I can understand that... it's just... I'm worried about the kids. They're still so young to accept the fact that no matter how things go, we're not a real family. We may have been a family but in the end, we're still not. I think that we'll never be but I don't want the kids to grow up without having one to raise them."

Her words hurt him. He knows that it's because of him. He was never there to watch over them, to take care of them or to be with them. All he did was run away and sulk. Tifa was the only one keeping everyone and everything together. He don't want to lose them, especially her.

"Tifa... I'm sorry for everything. I won't leave again. I want to help you take care of our kids."

"Our... kids?" Tifa looked at him and saw something flicker in his eyes. Was that love?

"Yes, our kids. I... I love you, Tifa. I'm sorry for not telling you before and for not giving you any clues of what I really felt about you. I love you, Tifa Lockhart and please let me help you keep our family together."

Tifa's tears once again flowed and Cloud lifted his hand to wipe them.

"Cloud, you love me?"

"Yeah. I always did. Can I help you keep everyone together as one family?"

Tifa smiled and nodded.

"Of course. I love you too, Cloud." Tifa whispered as Cloud leaned closer to kiss her. After their kiss, Cloud wiped the remaining tears and smiled.

"Thank you and I won't let you down this time."

"Daddy!" Marlene said as she ran to Cloud and clung to his leg. Cloud looked down and saw Denzel and Marlene. He knelt down and wrapped his left arm around her while his other arm was around the young boy who, for the first time, cried. Tifa smiled while looking at Cloud and the kids.

"W-We thought that you'll n-never come back." Marlene said.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I did."

"Just promise us that you won't make Mom or Marlene cry again." Denzel said as he looked at Cloud who nodded and smiled a little.

"I promise." He ruffled their hairs and they stopped crying. He carried them as he stood up and Tifa walked to them.

"It was because of one black haired blue-eyed ex-SOLDIER who punched me and one angry Ancient that I realized that I have a family waiting for me." Cloud said as he looked at Tifa.

"You made them angry?"

"He did. He's one heck of a Chocobo-haired chicken wuss after all." They heard Zack's voice and immediately turned around and saw him and Aerith standing at the door.

"Zack! Aerith!" Tifa said.

"It has been a while, Tifa." Aerith said while smiling. Tifa went to her and hugged her. She also hugged Zack then stepped back.

"Thank you for bringing Cloud back."

"It's no big deal. He just needed a nice punch and three minutes of lecture." Zack said as he chuckled and Aerith giggled a little.

"Thanks for the help." Cloud said while still carrying the kids who were looking at Zack and Aerith.

"You're welcome. We'll drop by again if you make them sad. I'll also turn your Fenrir to junk."

"You wouldn't do that, would you?"

"You know me, Cloud." Zack said as he gave him a mischievous smirk.

"Point comfirmed. You'd really wreck it."

"Of course!"

"Marlene?" Aerith said and Marlene looked at her.

"Yes?"

"You're free to pick the flowers at the church."

"Really? Thank you! I love your flowers. I'm sure Mommy will like them." Marlene said as she smiled.

"You're welcome."

"Denzel, you weren't wrong when you made Cloud your idol. Always keep him in check and casually remind him not to make the ladies cry, okay?" Zack said and Denzel nodded.

"I will."

"Well then, we'll go now." Aerith said.

"See you guys again!" Zack opened the door as he and Aerith disappeared. Tifa, Cloud and the kids smiled before looking at each other.

"Hey, just why are you two still awake?" Tifa said as she looked at the kids who were still being carried by Cloud.

"Uh oh..." Denzel said.

"Daddy, help us." Marlene said as she looked at Cloud.

"I want to but I can't. Tif's way dangerous than me when angry." Cloud said.

"Go up to your room and sleep. If I finish counting to ten and you're still awake, I won't cook pancakes for tomorrow."

-"No way!"- The kids jumped down from Cloud's arms then rushed to the stairs. Denzel almost tripped on the steps while Marlene almost bumped her head on the door. Tifa shook her head.

"1... 2... 3..." They heard Tifa counting and they climbed on their beds, wrapping themselves with blankets.

"4... 5... 6..." Tifa smiled while looking at the stairs.

"You know it'd take time before they really fall asleep." Cloud said as he looked at Tifa who stood in the kitchen.

"I know that and they're going to have more problems in sleeping because you came back." Tifa took vegetables and meat from the fridge and placed them on the counter.

"Sorry."

"It's alright. They were still awake before you came. I heard them mumbling things but I can't understand them."

"You're lying. Your sense of hearing is above the normal. What'd they say?" Cloud said as he sat on the barstool in front of the counter. Tifa sighed and started slicing the vegetables after washing them.

"Marlene was worried that you might not come back while Denzel still believed in you that you'll come back because we're your family."

"I see. I've hurt them too but their pain is nothing compared to those I gave you. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you, Cloud. It's alright."

"No it's not. Tell me. How can I make it up to you?"

"Hmm... How about staying here to take care of them?"

"Just them?" Cloud said, quirking an eyebrow while looking at Tifa. Tifa smiled and looked at him.

"Then, me too, Mister Strife."

"Of course." Cloud smiled a little and Tifa started cooking. After a few minutes, Tifa finished cooking and placed the plate in front of him before sitting next to him.

"You're not going to eat?"

"I'm fine. I already ate earlier after I closed the bar."

Cloud shrugged then started eating. Tifa looked at him and smiled a little. Moments later, Cloud finished eating and he washed the dish. He and Tifa went upstairs to check the kids and saw that they were fast asleep on their beds. After that, they went to their own room. Though this time, they shared Cloud's bed.

"Cloud..."

"Yeah?"

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Of course. You'd wake up in my arms."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."


End file.
